4 Proven Ways to Take the Stress out of Moving!
In every language and in all parts of the world from all times, people say, have said, and will continue to say: Moving is stressful. There is simply no such thing as a stress-free move. Even the simplest and shortest distance move has psychological implications. It can be somewhat stressful just moving your furniture around the home you already have. Removing it from that space and putting it into another is going to leave a mark.
It is not just the obvious difficulties of a move, such as the expense. And to be sure, moving is almost always more expensive than you expect it to be. There is also the loss and damage associated with every major move. Something is going to go missing or get broken.
Don’t forget the personal injury. Your back and knees are going to be sore for weeks. That vintage dresser weighs 500 lb. How did you think you would feel after moving that down a flight of stairs?
The first and most important thing you can do to relieve some of those stresses is to call upon a reliable moving company that can do everything from packing up to setting up. Local services are good for short moves of a few well-packed boxes.
But for more than that, you should look into one of the national brands such as Allied Van Lines. These brands offer full-service options plus they are licensed and bonded. That along with provided insurance policies makes a huge difference in peace of mind. To make the move even more stress-free, here are three more things you can try:
Move Less Stuff
The more you have to move, the more stressful the move will be. That is because on a very basic level, there are increasingly more things that can go wrong with each item you add to the move list. If you have piles of clutter in your current home, don’t move it to the new home thinking it will magically become something other than the same pile of clutter.
Even science has weighed in on the benefits to decluttering your life. The psychological benefits range from less guilt to heightened concentration and more productivity. There are also budget implications. There is actually a maintenance cost to owning and housing more things. Less stuff to move is less stuff about which to worry.
Make a List
If you have 10 rooms worth of items to move plus closets, cubbyholes, and the contents of drawers and cabinets, there is no way you are going to be able to keep a mental inventory of everything that has to be transferred from one place to the other. You need a list, and perhaps several lists.
The important thing is that you write down all the things that are being moved so that you have an easy and accurate way of taking inventory at each stage. Trying to eyeball it is sheer madness. So make a list and check it as often as necessary.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
We all know the sayings about wasteful haste. The more rushed you feel, the more stress you will have. As a result, more things will go wrong. The way to reduce this problem is to pack early and well. Make sure you have plenty of sturdy boxes with lids. Open boxes are bad for moves no matter how neatly they are packed. Avoid them at all costs.
It is far better to pack too early than too late. You can always live out of a suitcase for a few days, or even buy an extra set of toiletries. But waiting until the last minute will force you to rush and forget things. The packing will not be as neat. And many things will never make it into a box. The only thing you want to do on moving day is load and unload boxes, not pack.
Start with a good moving company. Take as little as you can get away with. Make a list. And give yourself plenty of time before the big day. Moving will still be somewhat stressful. But with these tips, that stress will be held to a minimum.
3 Comments
Emma
Ah, the memories of moving… Thankfully, I now make my hubby do all the work and act like a “backseat driver”. Hehehe! One of the benefits of your husband.
Rosie
These sound like good suggestions. I have a stash of moving boxes, and some are now packed, that I keep going back into every now and then. I’m naughty in that I have boxes packed to give away, but I keep taking things back out and changing my mind to keep those things instead! So much for decluttering!
Debbie P
I will have to remember these tips the next time I move! Which will probably be later this year.